The Hydro-Québec disconnection scam

What the scam looks like

The text lands in the middle of the afternoon: your Hydro-Québec bill is past due, service will be cut today, pay now through this link. The page has the right logo and the right colours, and it wants your full card number. The phone version pushes harder - a recorded voice or a "collections agent" says a crew is already on the way and the balance has to be settled within the hour, by gift cards, e-Transfer, or crypto.

Hydro-Québec does send real emails to customers signed up for online billing, and it does phone people about accounts in arrears. What it doesn't do is ask for a card number by text, take gift cards or cryptocurrency, or cut your power within the hour - a real disconnection for non-payment comes after written notices and deadlines. What the scammer is actually after is your full card number, or a payment you can't claw back, handed over before you've had a chance to check.

Red flags

• A threat to cut your power today, with a crew "already on the way" and a deadline.
• Payment demanded by gift cards, a prepaid card, cryptocurrency, or e-Transfer.
• A texted link asking for your full card number, date of birth, or banking login.
• A past-due balance you've never heard about - nothing in the mail, nothing in your online account.

What to do

• Don't pay on the spot. Hang up, or leave the text alone - nobody cuts the power because you took ten minutes to check.
• Check your real balance in your Hydro-Québec online account, typing the address in yourself; don't follow the link in the message. To talk to someone, use the number printed on a bill you already have.
• Gave out your card number? Call your bank right away, then report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).
• Not sure about the text you got? Paste it into our scam-text checker below.